Surah Al Ma'arij Tafseer

The Day when they will come out of the graves quickly as racing to a Nusub.

meaning, they will stand up out of their graves when the Lord, Blessed be He the Most High, calls them to the place of the reckoning. They will rise up quickly as if they were rushing towards some monumental object.

Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Ad-Dahhak, all said,

"As if they were rushing towards a flag."

Abu `Aliyah and Yahya bin Abi Kathir both said,

"As if they were rushing towards a goal."

The majority of reciters recited this word as "Nasb" (instead of Nusub) with a Fathah over the letter Nun and a Sukun over the letter Sad.

This (Nasb) is a verbal noun meaning something that is erected.

Al-Hasan Al-Basri recited it as "Nusub" with a Dammah over both the letter Nun and Sad. This (Nusub) means an idol.

With this recitation the Ayah means, as if their rushing to this place was like when they used to hurry in the worldly life to the idol when they saw it. They would rush hurriedly to see who would be the first of them to touch it.

This has been reported from Mujahid, Yahya bin Abi Kathir, Muslim Al-Batin, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Abu Salih, `Asim bin Bahdalah, Ibn Zayd and others.

Concerning Allah's statement